Germany and France share one of Europe’s busiest downstream aluminium corridors, and the metal flows in both directions. In the first seven months of 2026, aluminium flat rolled products (FRP), which cover aluminium plates, sheets and strips (HS code: 7606), as well as aluminium foil (HS code: 7607), crossed the border each way, amounting to a total of around USD 692 million. However, the bilateral trade flow is tilted towards Germany, which remains France’s largest FRP supplier. Nonetheless, the inter-dependence remains as the countries do exchange the same products but engage in cross-border trade of specialised high-value products and alloys, feeding the demand on either side. The trade figures for January–July 2026, as compiled from the International Trade Administration, highlight...
KAP Minerals and Cymat Technologies are exploring a partnership to produce scandium-aluminium master alloy in Ontario, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The partnership would use scandium oxide from KAP’s Kapuskasing critical minerals project and Cymat’s aluminium-processing technology to produce alloys for aerospace, defence and manufacturing applications. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Scandium-aluminium alloys can improve strength, performance and weldability while reducing weight. The companies aim to use the proposed venture to establish a domestic supply chain, converting Canadian critical minerals into value-added industrial materials....
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Not only steel manufacturers, but even aluminium producers in India are now vying for a larger piece of the auto market pie, what with vehicles getting increasingly lighter and stricter pollution norms. Hindalco Industries Ltd, the world’s biggest supplier of aluminum to carmakers, may double group sales to US $33 billion in five years as Audi AG (NSU) and other European carmakers swap steel with the lightweight metal. Speaking to Bloomberg recently, Debnarayan Bhattacharya, managing director of Nalco, had said automobiles were a huge prospective business for his company. The European auto market was also booming, presenting a good market, he said. It is estimated that carmakers use about 50 million metric tons of steel every year globally, equivalent to the world’s total aluminum...
A recent development in India’s steel sector has renewed the faith of steel manufacturers in its automobile sector. The auto industry has been one of the biggest users of steel in recent years, thanks to the increasing number of sales of vehicles — two- and four-wheelers. Japanese company Sumitomo Corp. announced recently that it had decided to go in on a joint venture with local steel firm Mukand Ltd (40-60%), and will begin processing specialty steel long products for the automobile industry in India. Steel industry analysts have hailed the establishment of such a venture as a signal development. The new company shall be headquartered in Maharashtra in western India, while production is expected to start in October 2012. Explaining the rationale behind the development, Sumitomo, in a...
AmResearch Sdn Bhd has maintained its 'Buy' call on Press Metal Bhd with a lowered fair value of RM2.42, to account for a softer first half of 2012 for the global aluminium market as macro cycles remained fluid. Against this backdrop, the research house said it expected Press Metal's upcoming second quarter 2012 results, scheduled for release this week, to be relatively weak. "Benchmark aluminium prices fell nine per cent quarter-on-quarter to US$1,978 per tonne in the second quarter as buying sentiment turned cautious on account of weaker macro data points," it said in a statement. Hence, AmResearch has trimmed Press Metal's forecast core net profits for the 2012-2014 financial years by seven to 14 per cent on more conservative pricing assumptions and some initial start-up cost for its...
The Aluminum Association announces the addition of its newest member, Epcon Industrial Systems, LP. Epcon Industrial Systems, LP joins the Association as an Associate member; Associate members are a critical part of the North American aluminum industry providing direct services to firms producing and recycling aluminum. “Epcon is truly proud of being a member. I have been well impressed with the membership and the organization’s structure, especially after I attended the Association’s meeting earlier this year,” said Aziz Jamaluddin P.E., President of Epcon Industrial Systems, who will serve as Epcon’s official representative to the Association. “I would say that The Aluminum Association is one of the finest trade organizations to which Epcon belongs.” Epcon Industrial Systems, LP has...
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has released a new online learning course for architects, designers, engineers, building developers and professionals available on AECDaily.com, a continuing education website for building and construction professionals . The course, Aluminum Extrusions, was approved for continuing education units (CEU) by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the USGBC’s Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and more than 10 other construction-based organizations. The Aluminum Extrusions course provides an excellent overview of the characteristics, technical information and benefits of aluminum extrusions used as a building material with a focus on whole building design, sustainability, and application possibilities. Developed by the AEC Building &...
SmarTrend identified a Downtrend for Noranda Aluminum (NYSE:NOR) on March 8th, 2012 at $10.98. In approximately 6 months, Noranda Aluminum has returned 40.98% as of today's recent price of $6.48. Over the past year, Noranda Aluminum has traded in a range of $5.90 to $13.18 and is now at $6.48, 10% above that low. Over the last five market days, the 200-day moving average (MA) has gone down 0.6% while the 50-day MA has declined 1.1%. Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp is an integrated producer of aluminum products, as well as rolled aluminum coils. The Company produces aluminum products in the form of billets, rods and sows, used mainly for building construction, architectural and transportation applications. Noranda also produces foil and light gauge sheet products from its rolling mills....
The Board of Directors of SAF (Southern Aluminum Finishing Co., Inc.) announces that John McClatchey, Ph.D., 67, is retiring from the position of President of SAF, effective September 1st. Dr. McClatchey has held the President's job since 1988. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. Dr McClatchey plans to work as Chief Financial Officer of SAF for at least another two years. James (left) and Penn McClatchey (right) will share the CEO job, assuming the titles co-CEO. James, 62, will take responsibility for Sales, IT and Finance. Penn, 50, will take responsibility for Operations, Engineering and Marketing. James joined SAF in 1973, and Penn joined SAF in 1986. Both men have deep experience in all areas of the Company's business. Under John McClatchey's leadership, SAF began...
China Zhongwang Holdings Limited, the second-largest industrial aluminum extrusion product manufacturer in the world, realized a net profit of 1.04 billion yuan ($165 million) in the first half, representing a 152 percent growth year-on-year, the company said on Wednesday. The company's revenue surged 60.9 percent to 6.88 billion yuan during the first six months. It continued to expand its client base, composed of mainly large-scale State-owned enterprises, which led to a sales volume growth of 51.2 percent year-on-year to 6.33 billion yuan in the domestic market. In the first half, the company sold 286,110 tons of aluminum extrusions, achieving more than 50 percent of its annual sales target of 500,000 tons. Against a background of slower economic growth and gloomy development in the...
Trimet Aluminium AG is also presenting an expanded range of products and services for the automotive sector at Aluminium 2012. The medium-sized aluminum producer has recorded continuously growing demand for tailor-made system solutions for vehicle parts and delivers specialist products to renowned automobile manufacturers. Trimet is significantly expanding the capacity of the gravity die casting foundry at their location in Harzgerode in cooperation with BMW. The volume of investment for this expansion work is 13 million euros. Trimet has invested around 160 million euros over the past decade in its automotive division at the company’s locations in Harzgerode and Sömmerda in order to expand its product range and serve its growing customer base. The company – together with its partner BMW...
Showa Denko Packaging Co., Ltd., has decided to increase its production capacity for aluminum laminated films used for packaging lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Specifically, Showa Denko Packaging will expand the production facility at its Hikone Plant in Shiga Prefecture, doubling annual production capacity versus the 2010 level. Construction work will start next month, and the expanded facility will start up in the second half of 2013. Showa Denko Packaging has developed the aluminum laminated film - a composite material of resin film and aluminum foil - using its know-how accumulated over many years to mold laminated films for food containers. Compared with metallic LIBs (either cylindrical type or prism type), aluminum-laminated-film-based pouch type LIBs provide higher flexibility in...
Swiss architect Tilla Theus has designed an aluminium-clad restaurant named Gipfelrestaurant, which has recently opened at Weisshorn, Arosa, atop the Alps in Switzerland. Gipfelrestaurant is located 2650 meters (8700 feet) up atop the Arosa Weisshorn in the Swiss Alps. The irregular hexagon restaurant boasts of a pleated and folded facade which has been created using anodised aluminium by facade specialists Scherrer. Located on the centre of the plateau, the design is characterised by sloping walls and sloping roof. The anodised aluminium façade creates a scaly skin,which enables the building to mingle with its surrounding snowy mountains. Its archaic form and materialisation enables it to mix with the overall natural landscape. Inside, the restaurant mimics the atmosphere of a cozy...
Quilmes launched a new aluminum bottle developed by Pierini Partners, which changes its graphic when exposed to ultraviolet light. This unique and surprising characteristic has been magnified thanks to an attractive and original design, regardless the light you see it under. "There are moments in the professional life when the ability to create is put to the test. This project generated the ideal situation in which imagination and resources could join and cause an interactive piece," commented Adrian Pierini, Pierini Partners' CEO and designer of this packaging. "The challenge was to transcend the graphic aspect and to generate a surprise element, a visual and tactile stimulation, a magic and fantastic piece. Undoubtedly, this bottle represents more than a launching; it is a symbol of...
Hindalco Industries' 1QFY13 EBITDA were 36%/38% below our/street estimates, respectively, on lower copper and aluminium production due to planned plant shutdown and temporary disruption, respectively. PAT was just 10%/17% below our/street estimates, respectively, primarily due to a significant jump in other income driven by dividend from Dahej Harbour & Infrastructure (DHIL) and higher treasury income. Novelis, on the other hand, reported steady performance with adjusted EBITDA of US$259mn compared to US$233mn in 4QFY12, while EBITDA/tn improved from US$316 to US$346 in the same period. We have cut our FY13E and FY14E EBITDA estimates by 3% and 2%, respectively, while PAT estimates have been lowered by 1% and 6% for the same period. We retain our Sell rating with revised target price of...
China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd. (1333), Asia’s largest maker of extruded aluminum products, said demand is increasing as carmakers use more of the lightweight metal in place of steel. “Aluminum usage in cars has changed noticeably in the past year,” Executive Director Lu Changqing said in an interview in Hong Kong. “Growth will be driven by the transportation sector.” Aluminum producers globally are betting regulation to cut carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency in the U.S. and Europe will prompt carmakers to use more aluminum. Jaguar Land Rover plans to start selling its first all-aluminum Range Rover SUV next month, reducing the car’s weight by 39 percent, while Daimler AG’s Mercedes is using the metal for its 93,534-euro ($116,599) SL model. China’s industrial aluminum extrusion...
Kobe Steel Ltd. announced Aug. 22 that first-phase construction of an aluminum forging plant at Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products Co. (KAAP China) has been completed and the facility has gone into commercial production. A joint venture of Kobe Steel, Mitsui & Co. and Toyota Tsusho Corp., KAAP China produces aluminum forgings for automotive suspensions in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. KAAP China is currently undertaking a second-phase expansion. When construction is completed in March, production capacity is anticipated to double. First-phase construction required an investment of 2.5 billion yen ($31.5 million). The second phase will come to 4.5 billion yen.
This past weekend, Ferrari introduced its newest F12 Berlinetta model to the American public out at Pebble Beach. It’s currently the Italian automaker’s most powerful road car yet, boasting 731-hp and 509 lb-ft of torque from its 6.3-liter V12 engine. Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa took the opportunity to speak about the automaker’s future as well, focusing on the fact that Ferrari has no intentions of switching to carbon fiber anytime soon. While other exotic automakers are starting to use plenty of carbon fiber on their products – such as Lamborghini and McLaren – Ferrari believes it’s still too early to incorporate the material extensively in its products. According to Felisa, carbon fiber technology won’t be where the automaker needs it to be until 2020. He believes that the current resins...
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OPSCB) has asked aluminium maker Hindalco Industries Ltd to shut down the captive power plant of smelter plant near Hirakud in western Odisha following breach in its ash pond causing severe crop damage in the nearby areas. The pollution watchdog ordered for immediate closure of 367 Mw thermal power plant of Hindalco, to avoid further release of ash into farm fields. However, the Aditya Birla Group company has been permitted to draw power from the state grid to continue its smelting operation. And in case of disruption in power supply from the state grid, the smelter will have to be shut down, the order said. Meanwhile, a senior company official said, if the CPP is put out of operation, the company will be forced to shut down its smelter. The ash...
Finnish aluminum products and components producer Nordic Aluminium Plc on Friday said that a special committee of independent directors at the company had unanimously recommended a EUR30.00 (USD37.06) per share buyout bid by its major shareholder, local shop lighting manufacturer Oy Lival Ab. The committee, consisting of the board of directors' independent members Hans Jonasson and Nina Ehrnrooth, was set up last Friday upon the announcement of the offer. Lival, which is owned by Nordic Aluminium's chairman of the board of directors Stig Lival-Lindstrom, holds a 71.19% stake in the target. Together, Lival and Lival-Lindstrom own 73.94% of Nordic Aluminium. The offer is conditional on the buyer securing an ownership level of over 90% of Nordic Aluminium's stock. The bid, which will be...
